Mail-box.



PATENTED APR. 18, 1905.

J. H. DIGKSON.

MAIL BOX.

APPLIOATION FILED D50. 20, 1904.

'2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES PATENTED' APR. 18, 1905.

J. H. DICKSON.

MAIL BOX.

APPLICATION FILED DEG. 20, 1904;

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

:Lq.E.,

Patented April 18,1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES H. DICKSON, OF POLK, PENNSYLVANIA.

MAIL-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 787,731, dated April18, 1905. A li ti fil d December 20, 1904.. Serial No. 237,668. 7

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that LJAMEs H. .DIoKsoN, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Polk, in the county of Venango and State of Pennsylvania,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Mail-Boxes, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description.

The purpose of the invention is to provide a mail-box which will requirethe use of but one hand to place letters therein and to so construct thebox that it will be strong, compact, and simple and able to stand anyreasonable test and wherein also the box will be waterproof andpractically burglar-proof.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of theseveral parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed outin the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective View of the improved letter-box, a portion ofthe casing or body thereof being broken away to show the interiormechanism. Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the casing of the boxand an end view of the operating mechanism within the body, showing thedoor closed and the chute for the letters open. Fig. 3 is a verticalsection through the entire box, the door for the pocket being open andthe chute which receives the letters closed at the bottom. Fig. i is adetail perspective view of the framework for the pocket and a portion ofthe chute adapted to receive letters introduced through the pocket, andFig. 5 is a perspective view of a part of the upper portion of the doorof the box and the support therefor.

A represents the body or casing of the box, which may be of any desiredsize and shape, and the said body or casing is provided with an openingsuitably closed by adoor a, which opening is located at the bottomportion of the box and is adapted for the removal of the mail-mattertherefrom. Another opening 10 is produced at the upper portion of thebox, through which the mail-matter is introduced. At the rear of thesaid opening 10, within the box A, a pocket B is located, and thispocket B, as is best shown in Fig. 4., consists of end or cheek pieces11, which are preferably provided with segmental lower edges and withfront flanges 12, whereby the said cheek or end pieces are secured tothe body of the box. Furthermore, a bottom 13 is provided forthe pocket,which is also segmental in cross-seetion and is secured in any suitableor approved manner to the bottom edges of the cheekpieees 11. The upperface of the bottom 13 is concaved and the under face convexed, and inthis bottom 13 a longitudinal slot 15 is produced, extending nearly fromend to end of the said bottom, and the said bottom 13 is provided with aflange 14. at its front, whereby the bottom portion of the said pocketis secured to the body A.

In connection with the pocket B, I employ a chute C. This chute ispreferably rectangular in general contour and is provided with an uppermarginal flange 16, the chute being open at the top and at the bottom.The chute C is adapted for attachment, by means of its flanges 16, tothe bottom of the pocket B in such manner that the opening 15 in thepocket will be in registry with the upper opening in the said chute, asis illustrated in Fig. 3.

At the upper portion of the opening 10 within the box or casing A ashaft 17 is mounted to turn in openings 18, produced in the cheek-pieces11 of the pocket B, and the ends of the shaft 17 are polygonal incross-section, as is shown at 18 in Figs. 2 and 5, and extend beyond theouter faces of the cheek-pieces 11 of the pocket. The door 19 for theopening 10 is secured in any suitable or approved manner to the shaft17, and this door opens inward and has movement in the pocket B, as isshown by positive lines in Fig. 3 and indicated by dotted lines in Fig.2. A plate 20 is fulcrumed, by means of suitable pins 21 at each end ofthe chute C, as is illustrated in .ing more or less convexed, asisindicated in Figs. 2 and 3. The sliding bottom 24, as shown in Figs. 1,2, and 3, is segmental in cross-section, having a concaved upper and aeonvexed under face.

A counterpoise-weight 25 is connected by arms 26 with theforwardly-extending upper members 22 of the carriers 20, as is shown inFigs. 1, 2, and 8, and extension-arms 27 are secured in any appropriatemanner to the opposite upper members 23 of the said carriers '20, andboth of the arms 26 and 27 are carried to the fulcrum of the carriers 20and are pierced by the pivot-pins 21. The extensionarms 27 from thecarriers 20 are connected by links 29 in a pivotal manner with crankarms28, which crank-arms are secured to the outer polygonal end portions ofthe shaft 17, carrying the door 19. Thus in operation when the door isclosed, as is shown in Fig. 2, the counterpoise-weight 25 will act andgive the carriers 20 an upward and rearward inclination, carrying theslide 24 from the bottom portion of the chute C and permitting theletters and mail-matter contained in the chute to drop down into thesaid box or casing A. When, however, mail-matter is to be placed in thebox, it may be done by the use of one hand only, as it is simplynecessary to press the door 19 open with the hand containing themail-matter, whereupon the connections between the said door and thecarriers 20 will act to close the slide 24: beneath the chute C as thedoor is opened, and the mailmatter can then be dropped in the chute, andas soon as the door 19 is permitted to close the slide 24 at the bottomof the chute is carried to the open position, (shown in Fig. 2,) and themail-matter drops down into the bottom portion of the box.

It will be observed that under this construction the moment the door 19is opened to deposit mail in the box the bottom portion of the chute Cis closed, so that no one can abstract from the chute any mail-matterdeposited in the box, it being necessary to open the door a at thebottom of the box to remove the mail-matter therefrom. The Weight 25 issufficiently heavy to keep the door 19 closed under heavy pressure ofwind.

Having thusdescribed my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. In mail-boxes, a casing having an opening thereinthrough which mail-matter is inserted, a pocket secured to the innerface of the casing, at the opening therein, and having an opening in itsbottom, a chute extending from the bottom of the pocket below the opening thereof, a slide for closing the lower end of the chute, a hingedplate-like door for closing the opening of the casing, and mechanismbetween the door and slide for operating the latter from the former.

2. In mail-boxes, a casing having an opening through which mail-matteris inserted, a hinged plate-like door for closing the said opening, apocket having a segmental bottom with an opening therein and secured tothe inner face of the casing at the opening thereof, a chute secured tothe bottom below the opening in said bottom, a counterpoise-slide forclosing the lower end of the chute, and

operating means between the pivot of the door of the casing and the saidslide for operating the latter from the former.

3. In mail-boxes, a casing having an opening therein, a shaft mounted torock at the upper portion of the said opening, a door for the opening,secured to said shaft, a pocket at the rear of the said opening, beingsecured to the said casing in which the said door has movement, a chutesecured to the said pocket in communication therewith at the top, beingopen at the bottom, a slide capable of covering the bottom of the chute,carriers for the slide fulcrumed upon the chute, a counterpoise-weightfor the carriers, and connections between the carriers and the shaft forthe door, which connections impart movement to the slide at the openingand closing of the door.

I. In mail-boxes, a casing having an opening therein, a shaft mounted torock at the upper portion of the said opening, a door for the opening,secured to the said shaft, a pocket fixed within the said. casing at therear of the said opening, in which pocket the said door has movement,the pocket being provided with an opening in its bottom portion, a chuteopen at the top and at the bottom, which chute is secured to the bottomportion of the said pocket in registry with the opening in the pocket, aslide capable of covering or of uncovering the bottom of the chute,carriers for the slide, fulcrumed upon the chute, a counterpoise-weightattached to the carriers above and at one side of their fulcrums,upwardlyextending arms also secured to the carriers above and atopposite sides of their fulcrums, crank-arms secured to the said shaftfor the door, and link connections between the crankarms and theextension-arms of the carriers.

5. In a mail-box, a casing having an opening for the insertion ofmail-matter, a platelike door for closing said opening, a pocket securedto the inside of the casing at the opening therein, a chute extendingfrom the bottom of the pocket and in communication with the said pocket,a swinging and counterpoised closure for the bottom of the chute, andmechanism for operating the closure from the door.

6. In a mail-box, a casing having an opening for the insertion ofmail-matter, a pocket on the inside of the casing at the openingtherein, a swinging door for closing the opening of the casing, a chutein communication with the pocket, a swinging closure for the bottom ofthe chute, having members pivoted on the outer sides of the chute, acounterpoise connected with one of the members of the closure, andmechanism between the pivot 0f lIS IO riers, crank-arms on the axis ofthe swinging door, and links connecting the crank-arms with therearwardly-projeoting arms of the carriers.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two sub- 1 5 scribing witnesses.

JAMES H. DIGKSON. Witnesses:

GEO. B. HAYS, JOHN T. MOORE.

